Holder for socket-wrench sets



Jan. 3, 1928. 1 1,654,703

. H. G. RICE HOLDER FOR SOCKET WRENCH SETS Filed June 28. 1926 Patented Jan. 3, 1928. r

UNITED STATES 1,654,763 PATE I oF rc rumonn e; men, or onrcne'o, ILLINOIS.

Application filed June 2's, 1926. serial lilo. ;1" 1's,s7'8.

This invention relates to holders for socket wrench sets, and more .partlcularly to holders adapted to hold a series of socketsof graduated sizes in a row, and for holding. a

' 1:; out disturbing the arrangement of thesockets in the holder and also to provide means whereby one of the sockets may be removed, I j 7 I 7 [16 is in locked position so that; the sockets from the holder for use with the handle member without aiiecting the holding means,

as to the sockets remaining in the holder.

Other objects of the invention are to providemeansfor positively locking the sockets inthe containerindependent of the handle;

1 toprovide such means; whichwill be effective iito hold all or only a few of them and to provide a holder of this type which will be light inweight, and strong and substantial so as to withstand rough; handling, to which such devices are ordinarily subjected.

' Othe-r'objects and advantages will become apparentwhen the following specification is considered in connection with the; accompanying; drawing wherein I have illustrated a selected embodiment of my invention, and

86 inwhich Fig. I isa plan. I i

Fig, 2 is a side elevation. i Fig: 3 is a side elevation showing the handle removed and the socket locking 4 means opened to render the sockets accessible.

I Fig. 4-is a plan o'fa portion of the locking element.

Fig, '5- is a section on the line 5 -5- of Fig, 2.

. Fig. 6 -is an end elevation of theright end f: F gand Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 2. Referring now to the drawings,- 1O indicates a housing or tray having; a bottom 11 and side flanges 12 and 1-3 projecting upwardly therefrom. The tray is preferably tapered so as to be; narrow at one end and wide at the other! end as bestshown in Fig.

1 to receive a series of sockets ll of graduated size and a screw driver socket member 15. A locking member 16 extends lengthwise over the tray immediately overit-he endsfof the sockets and is provided with dependingi'ears 1'7 and 18, preferably at 'thewide end ofth tray, which are pivotally connected" to the respective side flanges by eanest pivot "as or rivets 19. The opposite end or the locking member is Preferably depressed slightly, as

indicatediat 20, and, is arena-fie in" cro sssotiii as best Shown s F g: 7.

A cap member 21' preferabl cylindrical in foiniisjadaptedte be seated int-he arc'fia'te portion 20' of the locking member, and is secured bysuit'able means such as" a rivet 2 2 nected by means of a rivet 24 to an upstandi g end flange 25 gr the my 10.

As shownin Fig. 2, the locking member arese'curely held in the holder. A- lip 26 depending from the end of the locking member prevents the sockets from sliding oiitwardly between the arms '17 and 18 and the inside heads of the rivets 19 a1so serve this purpose byengaging the enlargedpart of the end socket 14. At the opposite end of the holder I prefer to provide a screw 7 driver socket member 15 and .to more sesurely lock this member in place, I provide a'slot'27 in the depressed end200f the locking' member 1 6: through which the screw driver portion projects. The cylindrical rep m glis also preferably slottedas indiv cats-a at 28" in Fig. 7 to'permitythe passage ofthescrew" driver member. s

' AL handle member 29 may conveniently be disposed over the locking member 16 with its straight end inserted in the receptacle 21 tov shape the locking memberlti' to corre-" spond to the shape of the lower portion: of

i the handle. In the present instance, a handle hexagonal in cross section is illustrated,

and I therefore provide the locking member with a'hot'tom portion 30 and side portions 31' and32 which form a channel adapted to snugly receive the handle assbest illustrated inFig, 5. By thus channeling the locking member 16 it is rendered suiliciently rigid so that it will Withstand reasonable forces whereby it might otherwise be bent out of ative,

shape and consequently be rendered inopern .1 posed edges.

means of the aforementioned pivot pins 19.

I also provide a finger grip as indicated at 39 to render opening of the cap more easily accomplished.

In order to take the handle 29 from the holder, the cap 3 1- is swung about its pivot '19 so that the bentend of the handle may be raised from the locking member 16, and the straight end withdrawn from the receptacle 21. The sockets then remain locked in the container and the handle may then be used for any desired purpose'without disturbing the packing of the sockets. T withdraw a socket, the arm 23 and receptacle 21 are swung on the pivot 24 in the direction indicated by the-arrow in Fig. 7 until they 7 clear the ar'cuate portion of the locking member. To render such swinging more easily accomplished, I provide a notch 40 in the locking member whereby it is only necessary to depress the end of the locking member a very slight amount, suflicient clearance for such depressure being provided as shown at 41 in Fig. 2. When the receptacle 21 is thus swung to the side, the looking member 16 may be raised about the pivots 19 and any one of the sockets may then be withdrawn. The remaining'sockets may then be again locked in the container by closing the locking member 16. It will thus be seen that I have provided an eflicient holder which is simple in construction,

efiective to hold all or only a part of a socket wrench set, and which may be manufactured at a comparatively low cost. j

I am aware that changes may be made in the form and construction of my improved the invention and I therefore reserve the right to make such changes as fairly fall Within the scope of the following claims, which'coiild be construed as broadly as POS'.

sible, consistent with the state of the art.

I claim as my invention:

1. An article otthe class described coinn'ising a tray for receiving a set of sockets lin a row, means extending lengthwise over Sillfll'OW oi sockets for retaining said sockets in said tray, and means for holding a socket wrench handle in place over said retaining means.

' 2. In combination, atray for receiving a set of sockets in a row, a set of sockets disposed in a row in said tray, means for rea member disposed over the tops of said sockets and connected to one end of said tray so as to be adjustable from operative to inoperative position, means at the other end of said tray for locking said retaining means in operativeposition, a socket wrench handle disposed over said retaining means, means for holdingone end of said handle in said position, and means for holding the opposite end oi said handle in said posi tion, the latter means being mounted so as to be adjustable from operative to inopera tive position for releasably holding said handle. i

. 3. In combination, a tray, a setot sockets arranged in row'in said tray, means for retaining said sockets in said tray comprising a part disposed lengthwise over the row of sockets and pivotally connected to one end of said tray on an axisjtransverse to the length of saidtray, means" at the other end of said tray for locking said retaining part in effective posit-ion, a socket wrench handle disposed over said part, means at one end of said tray tor rece ving the corresponding end of said handle, and mounted means at the other end for releasably holding the V opposite end of said handle. V

' 1. In combination, a tray, a set of sockets arranged in a row in; said tray,'means for retaining said sockets in said tray comprising apart disposed lengthwise thereover and pivotally connected to one end of said tray on an axis transverse to the length thereof, an arm mounted on the other end of said tray for releasably locking said part in ct- :tective position a socket wrench handle disposed over and alongsaid part, means on said 8.1111101 receiving one end of said handle and means for releasably holding the opposite end thereof. strong and light in weight, and which is 5. In combination, a tray,a set of sockets arranged in a row in said tray, means for retaining said sockets in said tray comprising a part disposed lengthwise over the row of sockets and pivotallyconnected -to one "end of said tray on an axis transverse to the holder without departing from the spirit of length ofsaid tray, a socket wrench handle disposed over and along said part, means on said part for positioning said handle handle, and means at the other end for releasably holding the opposite end of said handle. a r v 6. In an article oi the class described, the combination of a tray for receiving a setot' sockets in a row and nieans i'or holding the sockets in said tray and comprising a member extending lengthwise of said tray and I including a bifurcated part forming a pair of ears depending from said member and straddling the tray, said earsbeing v connected to said tray so as to permitrelative movement between the retaining member and tray. i

7. In an article of the class described, the combination of a tray for receiving a set of sockets in a row, a set of sockets in said tray, a socket retaining member disposed over said sockets and including a bifurcated part comprising a pair of depending ears straddling a socket in the tray and pivotally:

connected to said tray, a bent end socket wrench handle member disposed over said retaining member and having its bent end projecting downwardly alongside the socket in the tray adjacent said bifurcated part, and means for releasably holding the handle over said retaining member.

8. In combination, a tray including a bottom portion and side wall portions extending upwardly from the bottom portion a set of sockets arranged in a row in said cluding a part disposed lengthwise over the row of sockets, a socket wrench handle member disposed over said part, means at one end of said tray for locking the adjacent end of said part and handle respectively. in their respective positions, and means adjacent the other end of the tray for locking the adjacent end of the handle member in said position over the retaining part, said means and said part being pivotally connected to the side walls of said tray on a pivot common to both.

HAROLD G. RICE. 

